CHRISTIAN & CHRISTINE CHAGAS (TWINS)
THE CHAGAS TWINS: A DOUBLE CELEBRATION
By:Mylene Campos
We probably haven't witnessed that many debuts of twins, more so, fraternal twins celebrating their 18th birthday together. It’s not typical. But it’s certainly special and one for the books. Twins Christian and Christine Chagas may share the same natal day. But they’re still two different, unique and independent individuals.
THE TWINS | Christian, a friendly guy who likes to hang out and have fun, is now into monochromatic and simple clothing. He also loves to write and sing. His twin Christine, however, thinks that her fashion style hasn’t changed. She even shared that, “it’s not a matter of what designer you can flaunt. I think it’s more admirable if a person can dress smartly, look good, and give a lasting impression. This principle is part of the new character I’ve developed. With this, I'm able to use perspective and practicality when it comes to decision-making.” She gets inspiration from strong women figures like Melchora Aquino, Cleopatra, and Gabriela Silang.
GROWING UP | For Christian, turning from adolescence to adulthood gave him a sense of what’s to come. He shared, “before turning 18, I was left in a trance wondering if I can immerse myself in things like getting an internship, living alone, and other things. But now that I identify myself as an adult, I intend to act like one.” He also added, “it’s really about gaining more responsibility and maturity. I think my teenage years gave me a chance to hone my individuality, and to acquire meaningful experiences that would help shape the adult that I am now. I have always been an optimistic person, so I hope all my dreams and aspirations come true."
Christine feels no different, as she also looks forward to the challenges she’ll experience, the people she’ll meet, and the failures and rejections that she’ll face along the way. She shared, “I see it in movies, and I always wonder how people can breathe in such a make-it-or-break-it moment. Like the actors, I hope to handle stressful situations gracefully.” Now that she's a grown woman, she sees the world from a different perspective. "No amount of YouTube videos will be able to assure me of a successful life, and I'm fine with that. In this manner, I'm forced to live my life to the fullest, while seizing every opportunity there is to have."
OF DREAMS, FRUSTRATIONS & INSPIRATIONS | Like most teenagers transitioning from adolescence to adulthood, Christian and Christine also aspire to fulfill their dreams. The young man shared how he dreams of someday having a condominium of his own, becoming a lawyer for a multinational company (doing legal work for a big company that focuses on media or arts), while writing feature articles on the side.
Christine, on the other hand, likes to think that she’s limitless. “I want to be a myriad of things, and the dreams that I choose to let go of will turn into frustrations. But for now, I am a frustrated dancer and chef. Wherever life takes me, I’d want to feel successful, happy, and contented, especially when I'm finally old and grey.” She also added, “in 10 years, I would've already represented my country as an international beauty queen, while working as a well-established doctor, businesswoman or actress. I also see myself having purchased a new property at Taguig, Tagaytay, Quezon City, or somewhere in the South that's devoid of flooding and fault lines. By this time, I’ve already traveled to multiple countries." She also imagines having a healthy and long-term relationship with a man who she hopes to marry and have children with in the future. While Christine is single, she envisions her dream man as having good chemistry with her, someone who has a good family background, and who’s respectful, intelligent, God-fearing, loyal, honest, kind, funny, attractive and family-oriented.
DEBUT PREPARATIONS | Christian shared, “having twins celebrate a birthday is a rare occasion. Pre-planning was stressful when it came to organizing everything, especially when picking what’s optimal for the event. Fortunately, we decided to have coordinators. With their guidance, we were able to navigate what to do around the planning part and were able to know what the deliverables were. And the celebration itself was memorable. People were approaching us about how they thought the debut was beautiful, so that made us happy.”
According to Christine, they started doing their preparations 5-6 months in advance. Although it was not a seamless process, the twins still received the best deals and got to know more of their preferences, while giving each other the best compromises. She also shared how she felt apprehensive during their debut given that it was such a ‘me-oriented’ event. “I find it easier to give affection than receive it, so the fact that 400+ people came made me feel important. I was both surprised and grateful. I hope everybody enjoyed every bit of effort that we put into making the entire experience satisfying and comfortable.”
FAVORITE MOMENTS | It was quite memorable for Christian when he and his twin made their grand entrance. “I super loved our entrance. We sang Rewrite The Stars from The Greatest Showman. Our concept and vibe fit well for an entrance. Plus, we got to showcase our singing talent, which we rarely get to do now since going to college.”
But for Christine, her most cherished moment would be the time when she listened to her family and friends reminisce their relationships together. “Even just the presence of the guests and their efforts to participate in the activities, and stay until the end of the program was nice. Also, dancing with both my grandfathers was something I will always treasure.”
While the twins shared the same birthday, they still received individual presents. Christian shared, “I’m not the kind of person who’s very sentimental about gift-giving. But I loved everything that I received. I got stuff that ranged from perfumes, clothes to customized things. I appreciate all of them.”
Christine, on the other hand, loved the presents that were well thought of because they catered to who she was and what she needed. But her most favorite gift was a rosary from her aunt. “It was a refreshing gift as it carried so much meaning," she said.
Ultimately, the event, however glamorous it was, was all made to honor God’s blessings.
WORDS OF WISDOM FROM LOVED ONES | Their loved ones made sure to give the twins the best advice as they move forward to the next chapter of their lives. Christian's family encouraged him to be brave but to act smart too. "It’s easy for me to go for something without looking back, in hopes that things will go my way. This approach comes with a flaw, especially when I don't think things through and act irrationally. Fortunately, my family is always there to tell me when I’m about to make a mistake,” he shared.
Christine added, "aside from their support and constant reassurance of love, the best advice that I received from my family is to love my parents unconditionally. Personally, without this, I wouldn’t have grown into who I am today. We are greatly dependent on our parents to steer us into the right path because they have an innate nature of knowing what's best for their child. And to have such wonderful parents make me want to be a better person, to always be better than yesterday."